Dinner for the Lonely
by knockout34
Summary: New Assignment verse. With Charlie's security clearance back, things start to flow better on the team, especially with Nikki. But with things quieting down, the aftermath of Megan's departure hits Kailey in full. After a few days of struggling on her own, she finds that she's not the only one who's still having trouble accepting it.
1. Chapter 1

Kailey took off her jacket and unbuckled her shoulder holster. Another case in the books, but for Kailey, it had been just another thing that showed her she wasn't over her friend's departure. She still wasn't used to the fact that Megan was no longer at her side, and it was definitely affecting her work. She had tried many different ways to feel better, but nothing worked. It was obvious that she couldn't handle it on her own. _Hopefully that will all change soon_, she thought as she placed her things in her locker. The locker room door opened and she looked up to see David and Colby walk in. She knew that they had noticed that something was up, but she wasn't quite sure she was ready to talk about it with them.

"Hey, are you sure you don't want to come to the bar?" David asked her.

"You still look like you could use a break," Colby said. "I don't know why you won't take time off."

Kailey smiled at the two of them. She really couldn't ask for better friends. Colby had stayed true to his word that they'd work things out, no matter how busy they got. And David was very patient with the two of them, never being bothered by their relationship. Kailey could always count on him being there, like the big brother she never had.

"Thank you, both of you. I know I've been off. But I've got it figured out now."

"Yeah?" David asked.

"Of course."

Colby sighed.

"I've got to be honest, it didn't really look like it out there," he said, concern written all over his face.

"Well, I said I had it figured out, not that I had it solved. I doubt it will go away overnight. But that's why I'm not coming tonight. I've got….I've got a meeting with someone who I think might be able to help."

N3N3N3N3N3

"I had a, well, gut feeling as it were, that you were having the same difficulties transitioning as I have been finding. So I just wanted to thank you for accepting my invitation here to dinner."

Kailey smiled.

"Larry, I should be thanking you. Your gut feeling was right; I have been off my game."

"I have not been myself either," Larry answered. "My mind wanders to Megan all the time, how is she doing, are things working out, is she happy, is she upset?"

"Well, that's not entirely what I'm dealing with, but then again, I wasn't dating her," Kailey smirked. "For me, I don't know, every time I pair up with Liz or Nikki, it's like I expect them to do everything Megan's way. And when they don't, I get upset and can't think as quickly."

"You got comfortable. After all, I do recall Megan saying she was your first partner. Well, first human partner from my understanding."

"Yeah, but you know, that's not even the end of it. I feel like Megan's name has become a taboo in the office."

"I noticed that as well. I find it rather amusing, in fact, the ways that they avoid mentioning her when talking about profiling."

"Have you spoken with her recently?" Kailey asked.

"I think I call more than I should. Everytime I get further on this project that I'm working on, I just have the overwhelming need to call her and share it with her, even though I know she doesn't understand a word I'm talking about," Larry half laughed.

Kailey grinned at the look in Larry's eyes and tried very hard not to get sappy. She hated sappy.

"I knew you guys were more serious than you'd let on," she said, becoming extremely happy for the couple.

"Yes, a little more than we were willing to admit due to her departure. So, you don't think it would be rash of me to fly out there so soon?"

"She'd love it, I'm sure."

"Well, you are most welcome to join me."

"Thank you, but no, I know you guys could use the time, especially now that I know for sure how serious things are."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Of course! You need to go!"

"I do appreciate your encouragement. I did figure that with you being the best friend you'd be the best person to talk me in or out of this endeavor."

"She cares a lot about you, Larry, she really does."

"Well, I thank you, again, for coming. I just hope this helps you as much as it has helped me."

"It has, believe me."

"I did worry that it would cause you some problems."

Kailey frowned.

"No, of course not! Why would it?"

"Nahh," Larry said, trying to shake it off.

"Come on, Larry, what's up?"

"Forgive me for being blunt, but I didn't think your beau would be very happy at the idea of us having dinner."

"Wait, what? Colby? Why?"

"There has always been this, well, odd tension between us. I have just never felt that he was a fan of mine."

Kailey stared for a moment but then burst out laughing, something she hadn't done in a while. Larry looked at her in confusion.

"Sorry, Larry," she said, calming herself down. "I just always assumed you knew."

"Knew...knew what?"

"That Colby was jealous of you for the longest time?"

"Jealous?"

"Yeah, he had a big crush on Megan, almost from day one from what I understand."

"Oh," Larry said in thought. "Ah, yes, I guess that does fit."

"You know, I'll vouch for him; he was never a bully. But he did come from a small town. I don't think he'll ever understand why, in the real world, the pretty girl doesn't fall for the quarterback, but instead goes for the scientist."

"I don't know if this makes me feel better or worse," he said distantly. "Though, now that I'm thinking back, it did become less awkward when, well, when you came in the picture. It's funny, I always understood it as a sibling thing."

"That's probably because that's all it was to Megan. And yes, it did become more like that to Colby after a while."

"And he talks freely about this with you?"

"As freely as Colby will talk about anything. But some information did come from David or Megan herself."

"Okay," Larry said, looking relieved.

"I have to admit one more thing, though, Larry. I didn't actually tell him about tonight," Kailey said with a slight cringe.

"So there is something worry about?"

"No, no, not in that way. I don't know, I think I'm almost embarrassed that I put this, this mask on, you know? Tried to keep everyone's spirits up during all this mess and yet here I am, months later, definitely not doing okay."

"I know, I've done the same," Larry agreed. "But this, this has definitely helped."

"Well then," Kailey said, sitting up a little straighter. "I propose we meet back here in, oh, let's say a week?"

Larry smiled.

"Deal," he said, lifting his glass. She toasted him.

"Larry, I think this is the start of a wonderful friendship," she said. They both laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

Megan sat in her new apartment drinking coffee. It was early in the day and she had the day off from school and work. Things were going very well, even with her dad. But, on days like this, she missed her friends back in L.A. She didn't really have a similar group of people here. Sure, she had her actual family, her parents, her sisters, and all her nieces and nephews, but she had yet to make one really good friend. Sometimes she wondered if she was holding out, if she was unfairly comparing people to those back in L.A.

Her doorbell rang, bringing her out of her thoughts. She got up and walked to the door, half expecting one of her sisters to be on the other side, ready to drop off a kid or two. Not that Megan would mind that. But the last thing she expected when she opened the door was to come face to face with a bunch of flowers and…

"Larry?!"

Tossing the flowers aside, Larry embraced her. Megan unwillingly let a few tears slip out.

"Oh, are you alright?" Larry asked, quickly becoming concerned.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, I'm just...just so happy you're here," she answered, wiping her face off. "Why are you here?"

"I needed to close the gap between us for a little bit, I hope you don't mind."

"No, I can't even begin to tell you…"

"Is everything alright here for you?"

Megan sighed.

"I still think this was the right move for me, Larry. My family, it feels more like it should then ever before. And school is great, and work is great. But I was just thinking to myself, I miss all my friends, you know? I haven't really made one here yet."

"I have trouble believing that," Larry said.

"I do talk to people, go to group lunches. But it's not the same. I just feel like I'm judging them unfairly against you guys."

"You know, it's funny, Kailey's been doing the exact same thing."

"Kailey?" Megan asked, confused.

"Oh yes, we were actually just discussing that the other night over dinner."

"Over dinner?" Megan repeated, now even more confused. "Larry, I have to admit, I didn't know you and Kailey were so...so close."

"Oh, we weren't. As it turns out, we were both struggling long-term with your departure and most recently found comfort in knowing we weren't struggling alone."

"Is it bad that knowing that actually makes me happy?"

"Knowing that we miss you? No, I can hardly fault you."

"So what's going on?"

"Oh, I guess Kailey had been comparing the other female agents to you, and getting rather frustrated that she doesn't have the same connection to them as she does to you."

"We did work together really well," Megan admitted.

"And I shared with her my own struggles with loneliness and she convinced me to pack up and take this trip. I offered for her to come but she declined."

"And does it make me a bad friend if I say that I'm really happy she didn't?"

Larry smiled.

"Well it does allow me to say this more freely. Megan, I want you to know that I love you and no matter where life takes you next, I want you to know that no distance will ever change my mind, considering you stuck with me when I decided to leave the planet."

Megan smiled and blushed.

"I love you too," she said simply.


	3. Chapter 3

Colby looked over at Kailey, who was curled up with a book in his armchair. She had been a lot better the last few days, but still had not mentioned where she had gone or with whom she had spoken. He was trying his best to keep his curiosity hidden, but the more her spirits heightened, the harder it was. Her phone rang with a text, and with the smile on her face he couldn't take it anymore.

"What's up?" he asked, trying to keep it low-key.

"It's Megan," she answered.

"Yeah, how's she doing?" Colby asked, pushing aside his other concerns. He had tried calling Megan once, but ended up with her voicemail.

"Good, she's doing really good now."

Colby suddenly got the feeling Kailey wasn't just talking about Megan. Then, it clicked.

"You weren't over it, were you?" he asked.

"No, no I wasn't."

"That's why you were having trouble with Nikki and Liz," he stated, the pieces fitting together now.

"Unfair to them, but yes. She was more than a partner, you know that."

"Yeah, I do. And I completely understand. But why didn't you tell me? I didn't go through the exact same thing, but when I thought I had to leave the team…."

"I know, I'm sorry. I had thought I was okay, but when things settled down, I found out I was fooling myself. I was a little embarrassed."

Colby nodded in understanding.

"So, what'd she say?" he asking, nodding to Kailey's phone.

"Oh, just told me that I would never be able to find someone to replace her, so I should stop looking," Kailey grinned.

"I can agree with that," Colby said. "I miss her too."

"I will make sure to pass that on."

"So, this better mood of yours, is that a result of the meeting you had the other night?"

"Yep."

"Are you ever going to tell me about it? I kinda want to thank whoever it was that helped you. Wait, Megan wasn't back for a secret meeting, was she?"

"Oh, no."

"Psychologist?" Colby threw out.

"No...it wasn't really an official meeting."

"No?"

"It was a dinner."

"A dinner? Okay."

"With Larry."

Colby dropped the TV remote he was holding.

"Fleinhardt?"

"That's the only Larry I know."

"You went to Larry?!"

"Well, yeah. We just felt like we were on the same level."

"On the same level?" Colby didn't like the sound of that at all.

"When it came to missing Megan," Kailey said slowly.

"Uh-huh."

"Oh come on," she said, getting up and walking over to him. "Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Why wouldn't you tell me about it?"

"Don't worry," she said, curling up beside him. "It's not like we discussed dating each other. Though he is pretty cute," she teased.

"Shut up," Colby rolled his eyes and gave her a gentle shove.

"Seriously though," she said, looking up at him. "He thinks you hate him."

"Nah," Colby said, wrapping his arms around her. He turned his attention back to the TV, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't let it go.

_What IS it about that guy?_


End file.
